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Tag: Matt DiBenedetto

  • The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    The Final Word – The Daytona 500 finish reminded us of when giants ruled the asphalt

    Unstable. Set to go off with the least provocation. No, I’m not talking about CNN or late night talk show hosts, most celebrities, or more than a few politicians. What I am referring to is the Daytona 500.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. weebled, wobbled, and stacked ‘em up. He drove off, for the moment at least, but it was goodbye Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, and Jimmie Johnson before they got 60 laps in. Segment two found Chase Elliott the meat in a Ryan Blaney – Brad Keselowski sandwich and the aerodynamics took care of the rest. Adios Elliott, Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Danica Patrick. Then, down to the final couple of scheduled laps on the day, Kurt Busch was near the front but traded paint with Blaney and found himself facing the wrong way. Sayonara Kurt, Alex Bowman, and Matt DiBenedetto, who had looked so good before things went so bad.

    Good was remembering 20 years ago when the No. 3 crossed the finish line first, and car owner Richard Childress looking so happy for his driver, Dale Earnhardt. Sunday we saw Childress looking happy once more as the No. 3 of grandson Austin Dillon took the Great American Race. For a brief moment, we remembered a time when things were not so unstable, when the news was really the news, and you could believe what you had heard and seen. Believe me, what we saw at the end of the Daytona 500 felt so real and good, if only because it reminded us of a time past.

    Of course, Dillon won it because Aric Almirola threw a block in front of Dillon’s freight train, and wound up as one would expect in such a situation. While Dillon went on to win, Bubba Wallace, driving for Richard Petty, was the guy pushing him to victory, edging out Denny Hamlin at the line. Joey Logano was fourth, which was not as surprising as finding Chris Buescher taking fifth. Blaney, who was seventh in the end, was third in the opening stage and took the second to lead the points standings. He sits six ahead of Dillon and Paul Menard, who was sixth.

    It was an entertaining race, assisted by the volatility of the cars that made things a tad unpredictable for us, and for the drivers. The race kept us engaged while the television crew did not drive us off. In fact, the FOX coverage was pretty darn good. I do like the left side of the screen ticker better than the scroll they used to run atop it. Informative and entertaining. What a concept.

    Some were not as enthralled with the action. It was not worth a crap if you were named Kyle. Kyle Larson got some damage in that opening wreck and finished 19th. Kyle Busch had tires going down and fenders smacking the fence and wound up 25th. Stenhouse was blowing more steam than Old Faithful late in the second stage, and the Busch wreck really left him steaming in 29th when the day was over.

    Heading to Atlanta, Suarez, Jones, and Johnson sit with a single point each for their Daytona efforts. Johnson has won two of the last three raced down in Georgia, with Keselowski the defending race champ. With just five points, ole Brad also could use some stability himself come next week. Last Sunday, as oft times happens at Daytona, we were provided with a good show.

    The Daytona 500 finished with some of NASCAR’s most iconic numbers, the No. 3, the No.43, the No. 11 and the No. 22, coming home one-two-three-four. Just for the briefest of moments, the hands on the wheel could have been those of  Earnhardt. Petty. Cale Yarborough (or was it Ned Jarrett or Darrell Waltrip?). Fireball Roberts. Those were the days when giants ruled the asphalt. May such memories of the past merge with the reality that was last Sunday. May they just be the harbinger of more good things for Sundays come.

  • The Final Word – Darlington, crowning NASCAR royalty long before Daytona’s son of a beach

    The Final Word – Darlington, crowning NASCAR royalty long before Daytona’s son of a beach

    There is no question that the popularity of NASCAR has dropped off significantly over the past decade. There is no question that it also became something of a fad the decade prior to that. It went from a regional sport with limited coverage to one with a national presence and everyone and his dog could answer “how bad have you got it.” Then the fad ended, and while a number of fans and the hoopla drifted away, you have to admit that it remains higher in the sport’s conscientiousness than it was before that.

    History and tradition. Often NASCAR sells it out for a corporate buck, but the Southern 500 was a race to win long before they went round and round at Daytona, Talladega, or all those generic races on cookie cutter 1.5-mile tracks across the country. It was the race a driver wanted to win. That legacy continued in Darlington, South Carolina on Sunday night at the track too tough to tame, the famed Lady in Black.

    Of course, we had the Chase situation to keep a look out for. Thirteen had won themselves in, with 20 more mathematically still having a shot at those final three berths. Once again, for everyone, it was a story of victory or nothing. Ryan Blaney has his win, and he had a part of the fence in the opening segment. Trevor Bayne and A.J. Allmendinger needed a win but wound up with each other to see their hopes go flying away in the wind. Clint Bowyer needed a win, but he needed his car to re-start as he stalled and went to the garage for the night. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. already had two wins to go with his new nose full of fence and his chances got terminated. As for Martin Truex Jr., he beat Kyle Larson by a hair at the line to take the opening stage. Of the leading eight coming into Darlington, only Stenhouse and Jimmie Johnson were outside the Top Ten after the opening round.

    Daniel Suarez needed a win, but when he got more than just a Darlington stripe, he reached the end of his hope rope in the second segment. Allmendinger was still running, and when he collected Matt DiBenedetto no amount of math was going to work for either of them on this night. The segment ended under caution, with Truex again taking it. His amount of bonus points pretty much gives him a free pass into the second round of the Chase. Once again, with the exception of Johnson and Stenhouse, six of our Top Eight in the standings were among our Top Ten to this point in Darlington. A Cinderella finish was not likely, but somebody was still to make history by winning the Southern 500. Who would it be?

    David Ragan needed a win but got a spin instead early in the final run. He was 25th, so not a threat to win. I would like to tell you how far back time wise or lap wise he was from the leader, but NBC did not bother to inform us of such trivial things as of yet. Not once. I am guessing they took the 1980’s theme for the night to heart and said to hell with the modern technology.

    Bitch and ye shall receive. At least for the final 40 percent of the race, they presented the intervals. That made me happy, but it told us that Danica Patrick was two laps down and out of it. I know, that came as a big surprise. Shortly after, the names of Michael McDowell, Chris Buescher, Kasey Kahne, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be added to that list. If only Junior’s crew could add those lug nuts that appeared to be missing in post-race inspection.

    The winless seemed pretty likely to remain that way on Sunday night. It appeared it would be Denny Hamlin soaking in the suds, then he decided to spruce things up with a bit of drama. Under green, he missed the pits and had to go around, dropping him from first to 11th. Truex took advantage and returned to the front, but on much older tires than the guy he replaced. Time was not Marty’s friend. When one of his old worn moccasins went down, he slapped the wall, and with three laps to go Hamlin rode the fresher rubber to victory.

    For Denny, it was his second Southern 500 triumph and the 31st victory of his career. Truex, meanwhile, claimed the regular season title and the additional bonus points that earned him. As before, we were left with 13 drivers in on wins and three are in as long as one of 20 other boys and girl do not win this Saturday night at Richmond. Three past two-time winners remain winless this season, including Earnhardt and Bowyer, while Matt Kenseth would love to do it again if only to seal the deal.

    For the sixth season sponsored by Federated Auto Parts, the former Capital City 400 has been run since 1958. Richard Petty won the fall event seven times, Bobby Allison had a handful, with Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace each with four apiece. Hamlin is the defending event champion and is just a win away from joining their number. Something tells me the name of the winner for the 60th running of this event might not come as a big surprise.

     

  • Darlington Southern 500 – Did You Know?

    Darlington Southern 500 – Did You Know?

    DARLINGTON, S.C. — The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway this Labor Day weekend for the Bojangles’ Southern 500. This is the third straight year of Darlington’s throwback campaign and this edition will focus on the 1985-89 era. There are 40 drivers on the entry list and, as of today, 32 will run retro paint schemes to honor the rich history of the sport.

    The tributes are as varied as the drivers. Did you know that three different Cup Series drivers will feature a salute to Dale Earnhardt? Earnhardt has nine Darlington victories, second only to David Pearson. Jeffrey Earnhardt’s No. 33 car will feature a green and white scheme that resembles the one his grandfather drove in the XFINITY Series in the 1980s. Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy and Ryan Newman’s No. 31 will honor Earnhardt’s yellow and blue Wrangler scheme. This particular paint scheme is similar to the one Earnhardt drove in 1987 when he won his first Southern 500.

    Jamie McMurray will pay tribute to David Pearson, who leads all drivers with 10 Darlington wins, Brad Keselowski will honor Rusty Wallace’s 1994 “Midnight” paint scheme and Trevor Bayne’s car will represent the scheme that Mark Martin drove when he claimed the first Cup victory for Roush Fenway Racing at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1989.

    Other drivers being honored includes Davey Allison (Corey LaJoie), Bobby Allison (Matt DiBenedetto) and Alan Kulwicki (Michael McDowell). Check out this preview of all the Darlington throwback paint schemes.

    Darlington Raceway’s throwback weekend pays homage to a tradition that began on Sept. 4, 1950, when they hosted NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. There were 75 drivers entered into the event but did you know that the race was won by Johnny Mantz? It was his first and only win in the Cup Series. There have been 113 Cup races at the 1.366-mile track and 49 different drivers have won.

    Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner and is one of only six active drivers who has visited Victory Lane at Darlington. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with three victories while Kevin Harvick (2014), Matt Kenseth (2013), Denny Hamlin (2010) and Kyle Busch (2008) have one win each. But did you know that the last 11 races have been won by 11 different drivers?

    With only two races remaining in the regular season, the Southern 500 should deliver a night to remember. Capture the Coors Light Pole Award and you’re one step closer to victory. The pole is the most proficient starting position at Darlington. It has produced 20 winners while 17 drivers have won from the second place starting position. But did you know that the deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 43rd? That driver was Johnny Mantz in the Darlington inaugural Cup Series race in 1950. Qualifying for this year’s Southern 500 will be held Saturday at 1:45 p.m. ET.

    Tune in this weekend for all the on-track action beginning with the first Cup Series practice Friday at 1 p.m. ET followed by the final practice at 3:30 p.m. The Southern 500 closes out the weekend Sunday at 6 p.m. on NBCSN.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

  • Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    With the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington this weekend, it seems like a good time to talk about tradition. The first one in the books was back in 1950, making it the oldest of the sport’s iconic events. Most of the time, it goes to someone who is in or will be in, the Hall of Fame. That number will only grow once Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get in, along with a few other contenders I can think of.

    Bill Elliott won it three times. Gordon has six. Next year, the current driver of the No. 24 moves over to take over the No. 9 once driven by his daddy. Chase Elliott has the name and soon will have the number. William Byron takes over the former Gordonmobile.

    Ray Evernham never drove the race, but he was the man on the stand for four of Gordon’s victories. The soon to be Hall of Famer joins fellow inductees Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates as the event’s Grand Marshals.

    We hear that the No. 5 is about to go into mothballs, considering the No. 24, No. 48, and the No. 88 will soon be joined by the No. 9 in the stable of cars owned by Rick Hendrick. While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy won the race three times, this is the son’s last shot at claiming his first. An Earnhardt has appeared in Cup action every season since 1975. We might even see a cameo by the legacy of the legend next season, wife permitting. However, even if that was not the case, we could still have nephew Jeffery Earnhardt in the running.

    By the way, the Earnhardt NASCAR legacy at its highest division actually started on November 11, 1956 when Ralph Earnhardt finished second to Speedy Thompson in his Grand National debut at Hickory Speedway. Dale’s dad ran 51 races at the sport’s highest level. In fact, he finished ninth in the 1961 Southern 500.

    Tradition. Thanks to NASCAR’s capitulation to selling out its naming rights to corporate sponsors, we have few iconic stand alone events left. Talladega and Bristol are iconic tracks, but neither has a traditional branded event. If you are selective as to what races you win, there is the winter race in Daytona, the May contest in Charlotte, the summer run at Indianapolis, and Labor Day at Darlington.

    Win this Sunday’s Southern 500, and you will be remembered. Win your first of the season, and you will be rewarded with a place in the Chase.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (951 Pts)
    Tamed the track to tough to tame a year ago, but will she be a lady this year?

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (845 Pts)
    Coming off a win and another Top Ten in his last two, I think the lad is doing alright.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (628 Pts)
    This week saw Genevieve’s first day of Grade One. That is a big deal.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (850 Pts)
    We need some love ‘em or hate ‘em guys out there. He sure in hell is not colorless.

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (728 Pts)
    Then, there are some you just hate. I am hoping Momma Kay might disagree.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (528 Pts)
    Life is not always a day at the beach…but sometimes it is.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (824 Pts)
    His idea of a wild card race to determine the last Chase spot is a good one. We call it Richmond.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (753 Pts)
    Intentionally slow leaving pit road and you risk being sent to the back. Problem solved.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (623 Pts)
    One of next season’s sponsors will be Menards. Take that, Paul!

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (586 Pts)
    After a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard 400, another jewel would appear to be in order.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (574 Pts)
    Newman and Dillon will sport autos that will remind us of a certain Wrangler of the 1980s.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (451 Pts)
    Sometimes when Hendrick makes an announcement, it is good news. Sometimes, it is not.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    When it comes to throwbacks, I still love the black Goodwrench…no offense Wrangler.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 711 POINTS
    Nothing can be finer than driving the number niner.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 703 POINTS
    Two ex-champs, one quality ride left. Does either get the chair when the music stops?

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 700 POINTS
    Seven wins at Charlotte, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Talladega. Why not one at Darlington?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 642 POINTS
    Would he wreck a rival to make the Chase? Maybe, if he was running second.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 583 POINTS (1 Win)
    Thought he had a plan to get into the Chase, but the President pardoned Sheriff Joe instead.

    19. ERIK JONES – 574 POINTS
    Pocono (eighth), Watkins Glen (10th), Michigan (third), Bristol (second). His stock is rising.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 537 POINTS
    Whatever happens to the guy who fails to tighten a lug nut that costs his crew chief $10,000?

    The rest of the contenders

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 470 POINTS
    22. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 416 POINTS
    23. PAUL MENARD – 408 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 395 POINTS
    25. CHRIS BUESCHER – 387 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 381 POINTS
    27. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 378 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 352 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 303 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 268 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 264 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 241 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 241 POINTS

     

     

  • Hot 20 – Barring the unexpected, the Pure Michigan 400 could be just another race

    Hot 20 – Barring the unexpected, the Pure Michigan 400 could be just another race

    Now we know why they call it Silly Season. 16 drivers will make the Chase, and we already know that three who have done well enough thus far this season may not have done well enough to save their rides for next.

    Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500, but Stewart-Haas has not yet picked up his option for next season. Even he does not know if they will or won’t. Kasey Kahne claimed Indianapolis, but Rick Hendrick will be replacing him with young William Byron next year. Matt Kenseth holds down the final place for the moment, but Joe Gibbs is bringing Erik Jones back to the mother ship to take that ride.

    Usually we are interested in the winners. This week, other than for Joey Logano, past winners mean nothing. A new winner, or Logano, could really have an impact on who makes it and who might not. Wins have all but locked up 13 positions. Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, and Kenseth hold down the next three, separated by just 11 points. Three positions, three drivers. Good for them, unless someone behind them in the standings wins and turns this into a game of musical chairs, with one of those chairs removed.

    Anyone within the top 33 in the rankings still has a mathematical shot. Even Aric Almirola, who missed seven races due to injury but remains within the Top 30 and thus eligible for the free pass a non-encumbered win would give him. Matt DiBenedetto, Cole Whitt, and Landon Cassill are close enough that an unlikely win could spring them into eligibility.

    Michigan might not be the most exciting venue to watch a race, but the result could be very interesting.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX, JR – 4 WINS (881 Pts)
    Truex and girlfriend Sherry Pollex have given us the season’s most compelling story.

    2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (574 Pts)
    The King, the Intimidator, and Jimmie…all seven time champions.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 2 WINS (759 Pts)
    After back-to-back runner up finishes, has been outside the Top 20 in his last three attempts.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (681 Pts)
    Left a nice note to Truex for the win. Not sure if he left a nice note to Rowdy after the bus stop.

    5. RICKY STENHOUSE, JR. – 2 WINS (486 Pts)
    Nobody is talking about his sponsorship disappearing and, this season, that is saying something.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 1 WIN (765 Pts)
    M&M’s are good. Any sponsor sticking around is very, very good.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (746 Pts)
    Figures some of NASCAR’s problems stem from its most popular not being its most successful.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (687 Pts)
    As of mid-Wednesday afternoon, we were still waiting.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (565 Pts)
    Moving from Wood Brothers to Penske, and the world is his oyster.

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (528 Pts)
    Not everyone has such a smooth transition going from this year to next.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (503 Pts)
    Ryan should know what that is like.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    Despite Indianapolis, his future in the Cup series could depend on what he does to November.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (406 Pts)
    Meanwhile, some others have job security.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 648 POINTS
    With the exception of a seven-time champion, Hendrick turns it all over to the kids in 2018.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 643 POINTS
    Has finished in the Top Twenty is all but three. In this race, Jamie has become the turtle.

    16. MATT KENSETH – 637 POINTS
    If he gets the results, others do not get the wins, all he would need is a damn ride for next season.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 609 POINTS
    Clint is not wishing Chase, Jamie, or Matt any ill fortune…but if it happens…

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 542 POINTS (1 Win)
    You could say that encumbered win is something of an encumberment.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 508 POINTS
    Third last week means nothing, but could it be a harbinger of what is to come?

    20. ERIK JONES – 477 POINTS
    Crew Chief Chris Gale gets two race vacation, but $50,000 fine might keep him close to home.

    Then we have the Not So Hot, all who can be in with a win…

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 408 POINTS
    22. PAUL MENARD – 383 POINTS
    23. DALE EARNHARDT, JR. – 379 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 378 POINTS
    25. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 351 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 349 POINTS
    27. CHRIS BUESCHER – 346 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 325 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 276 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 242 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 242 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 229 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 227 POINTS

     

  • Hot 20 – Some future Hall of Famers are far from hot as they head to Las Vegas

    Hot 20 – Some future Hall of Famers are far from hot as they head to Las Vegas

    One thing that pops out at you are some of the unfamiliar names among our Hot 20 after a couple of races. Even more so, all the familiar names not there.

    No Jimmie Johnson. No Kyle Busch. No Dale Earnhardt Jr. It is early, and a couple of stage wins at Las Vegas could move them up. A win certainly would, but for now, their usual places are being held by someone else.

    One is a definite Hall of Famer. Hell, they all are, especially when you consider that every eligible driver with 25 wins or more is already there, with the exception of Jim Paschal. I would expect that 25 race winner to make it soon enough. Just not this year. This week, the nominees for the class of 2018 were announced.

    I thought I knew who I would vote for. Then I saw all the names, and it got a bit complicated. For one, just where in hell is Smokey Yunick’s name? A legendary mechanic, builder, and crew chief who came up with innovations that prompted NASCAR’s rule book to come up with restrictions to counter them. You know all those templates the cars need to fit today? You can blame Smokey for that. To say that he was not a fan of the France family is a bit of an understatement. The fact Yunick remains off the ballot would seem to indicate the feeling was mutual…and still is. That is a damned shame.

    Who would I put in? Broadcaster Ken Squier, without hesitation. NASCAR still awaits his successor, the voice that you can just lean back and ride along with on a summer afternoon as you tinker with your own wheels out on the driveway under a blue sky. As for the other nominees, as I said, it gets complicated. Is 25 wins a benchmark for drivers, or do other factors come into play, such as a championship or a tragic loss? How do we determine which owner, which crew chief, what engine builder is deserving? How much weight do you give to those in Cup, compared to other NASCAR series? A lot of deserving names, popular choices, but which five to be included in the Class of 2018? You could say that to try and forecast the outcome is going to be a bit of a crap shoot.

    They are used to that, I guess, in Las Vegas, as the gambler’s paradise is going to get a second race next season. Okay, but where was it going to come from? It makes sense economically to put another event in a town that is just one great big attraction itself. Just as long as it did not take away from a track that features action most love to watch. Not Daytona, Not Talladega, Not Bristol. Instead, the Magic Mile of Loudon, New Hampshire loses its September date after a 21-year run. It was a transfer between two properties owned by Speedway Motorsports’ Bruton Smith, who himself is a Hall of Famer.

    One good bet is that Smith will be joined in the Hall, some day, by the first three names you see among our Hot 20 heading into Las Vegas.

    1. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 86 PTS
    Forget yoga, as nothing relaxes a driver more than a Daytona 500 win and a pass to the Chase.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 84 PTS
    Dear Kevin: Many thanks. Love, Brad.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 90 PTS
    Dear Brad: Kiss my butt. Love, Kevin.

    4. CHASE ELLIOTT – 82 PTS
    Not a question of if, but when. He is the “next one.”

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 80 PTS
    When it comes to Las Vegas, Joey is great…but has yet to seal the deal.

    6. KYLE LARSON – 79 PTS
    Low, low, high, goodbye. Atlanta could have been different if only…

    7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 67 PTS
    For him, Las Vegas is more like a Kansas song. You know, “Dust in the Wind.”

    8. KASEY KAHNE – 63 PTS
    According to this chart, the second best damn driver for Hendrick.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 63 PTS
    Team was born in 1950. The Legend was born in 1953. The driver was born in 1993.

    10. TREVOR BAYNE – 58 PTS
    Performance Plus is the sponsor. Performance plus is what they are looking for on Sunday.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 49 PTS
    Once trailed Allmendinger until A.J.’s 35 point penalty for his lack of lug nuts at Atlanta.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 47 PTS
    Some say not a good fantasy pick at the moment. To be honest, I’ve never fantasized about him.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 46 PTS
    After the last couple of years, this is just freaking awesome!

    14. PAUL MENARD – 44 PTS
    Name his sponsor. Wrong. It is Valvoline…and Menards.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 41 PTS
    Along with Jimmie, Junior, Kasey, and Trevor, he likes to ride bicycles. Manly bicycles.

    16. COLE WHITT – 38 PTS
    Good start for TriStar Motorsports and its 25-year old wheel man. Can he keep the No. 72 up there?

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 37 PTS
    17th trip to Las Vegas, but third is the best he has done (2015).

    18. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 37 PTS
    Ninth at Daytona. 28th at Atlanta. A betting man might not like his odds for Sunday.

    19. DENNY HAMLIN – 37 PTS
    A messed up rear end (on the car, not the driver) ruined his march down to Georgia.

    20. LANDON CASSILL – 36 PTS
    Thanks A.J.

  • Hot 20 – Kurt is King heading to Atlanta, but beware the Jungle Cat in the No. 1

    Hot 20 – Kurt is King heading to Atlanta, but beware the Jungle Cat in the No. 1

    It is expected. The standings look weird. With bonus points from the Duels and the demo derby that was the Daytona 500, some wound up with more points than anticipated, and some got far less. Even though the math was there to see, the winner of the season opener actually not on the top of the charts, things did not get that weird.

    Our Hot 20 after Daytona…

    1. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 56 PTS
    Two years ago, he had the wrong girl and got banned. Today, he has the right one and a trophy.

    2. RYAN BLANEY – 44 PTS
    Iconic car, second generation Cup driver, a satisfying result.

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 43 PTS
    I am just one conversation over beers from being his greatest fan. Alas, it has not yet happened.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 42 PTS
    Move to Ford does not seem to have a negative effect on at least a couple SHR drivers.

    5. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 39 PTS
    Not fast, but third last Sunday. Docked points after the Duels, yet sits fifth in the standings.

    6. ARIC ALMIROLA – 37 PTS
    Seeking to rebound after a miserable 2016. So far, so good.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 36 PTS
    If Smokey Yunick was his crew chief, he would have won…before he got disqualified.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 33 PTS
    With young Taylor a big sister in training, all is good. Very, very good.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 33 PTS
    Why we should all carry a jerry can of gas while on a long distance trip.

    10. PAUL MENARD – 32 PTS
    Easy to identify a driver when he has the family named splashed across the hood.

    11. TREVOR BAYNE – 32 PTS
    Anything in the Top 20 at Atlanta would mark an improvement.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 31 PTS
    Not a fan, but if he should crash my party, and brought beers, I think I would be. Brad?

    13. KASEY KAHNE – 30 PTS
    Winless in 84, fourth on the team popularity charts, yet had a better start than Junior and Jimmie.

    14. MICHAEL WALTRIP – 29 PTS
    One final bow after his curtain call.

    15. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 28 PTS
    Clint, Junior, Rowdy, and Jimmie were among those who stepped aside to make room.

    16. AUSTIN DILLON – 28 PTS
    Now he knows how Kurt feels. Darn younger brothers, anyway.

    17. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 24 PTS
    Did someone mention fuel?

    18. RYAN NEWMAN – 22 PTS
    When I read that Ryan Newman is rumored to be dating Steven Perry, I got confused.

    19. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 22 PTS
    Have you noticed that in a fuel mileage race, it is always best to have enough fuel? Funny, eh?

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 22 PTS
    Jamie the Jungle Cat attacked anything that moved. Might he be on the prowl again in Atlanta?

  • The Final Word – Not all would agree that Monday was a great day for motor car racing

    The Final Word – Not all would agree that Monday was a great day for motor car racing

    Weather forced a day delay at Pocono, and was it worth the wait? For me, it was, though I could not help but notice that it was a day too late for some who might have been in the grandstands. Soon, NASCAR will institute a dress code where fans must wear the same color as the seats in their section so everything will just blend in on television.

    It was worth it for Kurt Busch. With his crew chief Tony Gibson on the shelf due to a lug nut related suspension, team engineer John Klausmeier sat on the box and apparently liked the view. If you remember, he took over last year when Gibson was suddenly advised to jettison his appendix. For a car that arrived on fumes, Kurt sure had more than enough to get those burnouts in as he claimed his 28th career victory.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski were the runners-up, with young Chase Elliott just behind them. Not sure if ole Brad will collect all his points, as post-race the car had an honor guard of NASCAR officials surrounding it. Something tells me “they who must be obeyed” are not happy. Earlier in the day, the shoulder of jackman Braxton Brannon reshaped the side of Keselowski’s car and it was required to return to pit road to have that alteration corrected. Come to think of it, wasn’t Brannon the same guy Keselowski clipped in a pit road incident last August at the same track? It would seem that being a jackman is truly a full contact position.

    It was not worth it for Martin Truex Jr. to wait a day. He got slammed on pit road early by Matt DiBenedetto to leave him 19th on the day. As for DiBenedetto, it was a day better spent at a barbecue, as the Truex incident was the first of at least three times he was featured in a negative light, but none of them was his fault. He finished dead last after a crash. Another wreck took place with Tony Stewart’s car getting loose at the wrong place at the wrong time, as his employee Danica Patrick was left with no choice but to pile into the boss. Too bad, as Stewart appeared to have a Top Ten car. That leaves him with a dozen races to pick up a win and make up the 71 point difference between his current position and 30th place in order to make the Chase.

    Sunday’s storm clouds left the sky but were all over the track. When Kasey Kahne cut below Ryan Newman, it shot Newman up into Kyle Busch who found the fence. Rowdy would not be the only top contender to be outside the Top 30 when things came to a conclusion. Jimmie Johnson was near the front on a restart, but found himself too low for his car to handle, and it stepped out and stepped into the inside barrier. Five laps earlier, Austin Dillon had wrecked on Turn One. That leaves him just 14 points to the good among the current Chase placers, down from 36 coming into Pocono.

    June is a great time to be a racing fan in Michigan. On Sunday, Will Power won the IndyCar event while the boys and girl from NASCAR make an appearance this Sunday…weather permitting, of course.

  • Sixth-Place Run Proves DiBenedetto Belongs Behind the Wheel

    Sixth-Place Run Proves DiBenedetto Belongs Behind the Wheel

    We’re eight races into the 2016 Sprint Cup season, and we’ve already got a top nominee for the feel-good story of the year. With BK Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto earning a sixth-place finish for a career-high Sprint Cup run following the Food City 500 at Bristol, fans and competitors all around the garage sang the 24-year-old driver’s praises.

    Race winner Carl Edwards was quick to acknowledge DiBenedetto’s accomplishment, saying, “They finished sixth? Man, that’s unbelievable. That’s probably tougher than what we did. That’s a real testament to them.”

    Denny Hamlin, who finished 20th, came down pit road as well to congratulate DiBenedetto while the driver of the No. 83 was giving an emotional interview for the television crews, echoing Rich Bickle’s tearful interview after he finished fourth at Martinsville in 1998.

    DiBenedetto’s interview just goes to show what’s great about NASCAR. While it may seem like the front is always the same guys day in and day out, and it may seem like old hat for drivers and fans, every so often one of the little guys who will work just as hard as his crew will have a good day. DiBenedetto’s emotions show that he is a guy that’s just happy to be a part of the big show.

    Look at his record in the Sprint Cup Series. Five lead lap finishes in 33 starts with a previous career-best finish of 18th (Talladega, Spring 2015). He didn’t start his rookie campaign in 2015 until the fourth race of the season at Phoenix, following two DNQs.  Driving for BK Racing, DiBenedetto has piloted some severely underpowered Toyotas and has managed to keep his equipment in once piece, which is no small feat in the Sprint Cup Series.

    He was once a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the XFINITY Series. These days that usually means surefire success, but in 2010, due to sponsorship woes, that left DiBenedetto without a ride. So for the better part of four years (until he signed with BK Racing), he was going from ride to ride just to be a part of the sport.

    Still, despite all that, despite all the struggles he’s faced with the No. 83 team in the 33 starts he has made with the team, he has managed to hang on, and now has something to show for his struggles behind the wheel in NASCAR. Taking into consideration the struggles he’s faced while trying to reach the upper echelons of NASCAR, the emotions that he showed in his post-race interview were real.

    DiBenedetto is a talented young driver who has a lot of years left on the clock, and with the improvements made by BK Racing in the off-season, he’s in a position where an underfunded race team could be built around him to at least be a consistent race team. That may take time, but he’s shown that he is more than willing to stick around for awhile.

  • The Final Word – Sunday was a strange, strange day at Bristol

    The Final Word – Sunday was a strange, strange day at Bristol

    There are ways to describe Sunday’s action in Bristol, but to do it justice one would need a blow-by-blow analysis of most of the competitors to figure out what happened, and how it happened. Let us begin with what we know.

    We know that Carl Edwards had one of the most dominant cars on the day. So did Matt Kenseth, while Kurt Busch (third) and Kevin Harvick (seventh) gave Edwards some company up front. Still, it was Cousin Carl who persevered, at the beginning, in the middle, and right to the end when he was putting some distance between himself and the field. Wheels that went straight, tires that kept inflated, walls that did not bite him, and the speed to see him lead a majority of the 500 laps allowed him to gather up his 26th career victory, his fourth at Bristol. That we know.

    What happened to his Joe Gibbs teammates is a little tougher to analyze. All four entries started in the first five positions, but 20th by Denny Hamlin was the best the rest could do after he sustained some damage in a pit road collision. Kenseth led for 142 laps, but the snake came back to bite him yet again this season. While running first, he lost his right front but found the fence. When he found it again later on, for the same reason, he was done in 36th. It could have been worse.

    Kyle Busch had been making a habit of winning lately, after consecutive triumphs at Martinsville and Texas. He took the drama out of it early, losing his right front and slamming the wall just 50 laps in. Sixty laps later, he got tagged from behind by Chris Buescher and went for a spin. Seventy laps further on, he got a pit road penalty. Seventy laps later, he lost another right front, found another fence, and finally put the car out of its misery, finishing 38th. Maybe too much camber angle proved to be the culprit.

    Some had bad tidings, but good results. Dale Earnhardt Jr. could not even get up to speed on the green flag lap to start, and was down two laps in no time. At least he did it with 500 laps to go, and due to some good fortune popped up in the end to run second. Even Junior thought he had, at best, a Top 15 ride. Chase Elliott had a tire issue, fell back to 31st by the 200th lap, but was fourth when they waved the checkered. Then there was Joey Logano. He finished 10th, despite an early green flag stop for a vibration that got costlier when their tire rolled away in the pits to sit even one behind Elliott at the time.

    Not enough great days for some others this season, but a few had one on Sunday. Trevor Bayne and Matt DiBenedetto were fifth and sixth at Bristol while Clint Bowyer had a Top Ten. Not so for Kyle Larson, as he dropped from third to a good 60 laps in arrears when his track bar broke. Cars seemed to get into trouble, rise out of the ashes, only to have their hopes dashed later on. Danica Patrick was 29th on Lap 200, fourth on Lap 275, and by Lap 435 she was barely in the Top Thirty. The Danica Line at Bristol was 27th, just one back of Austin Dillon and one up on Cole Whitt.

    On Sunday, there was no Big One, just a bunch of nasty Little Ones. However, as Talladega promises to do on May 1, that short track in Tennessee messed with people, including the minds of fans trying to keep track of the comers and goers, the heartbreakers and the heartbroken. It was not a boring 3.5-hours.

    Before they get to Alabama, they have a Sunday date in Richmond. Despite all his woes this year, Kenseth remains just five points out of a Chase place. Another win, like the one he celebrated last autumn at Richmond, would for all intents and purposes lock him into the championship hunt. Up to now, Kenseth has run well but always waiting for that black cloud to roll in to ruin his day. A single win and he is back to rainbows and blue skies. Funny, blue skies is exactly the weather they are calling for this Sunday.